XaiJu
anathemafiction
anathemafiction

patreon


Sneak Peek

I'm coding in some last additions to the chapter (it's so close, I swear!), and this angsty path was so hard to write 😭. Alessa my darling, only I know how much this guts you.

This happens in the worst possible outcome, so most people aren't likely to see it. Let me share this here instead.

-

You turn your head back at Alessa, watching her apprehensive eyes on Hadrian. "Are you sure I'm equipped to answer?" you ask, tone hissing like a snake. "Being the liability of the group?"

Alessa snaps her head at you, her eyes betraying her surprise. It doesn't last long, as it never does with Alessa, but within the blue, you see the hurt too.

"Let us not bring what is buried," she says, voice a whisper too.

Your chuckle is dark. "So, it's buried now?"

*if Friend

Alessa lowers her head. "'Tis not the time," she hisses. "Nor is this the place."

You scoff. "Was Mist's office the time and place?"

"I know not. Were it?" Alessa challenges. "You were the one escalating and now act as if you are a victim!"

You bare your teeth. "What a friend you are, Alessa," you say. "I doubt you truly know the meaning of the word. You only know servitude, don't you? Tarek matters more to you than all else. Even the people who care about you. Rafael was right, Alessa. This was never meant to last."

Her face opens in shock, and then, it contorts in anger. "Leave," Alessa sizzles, in a low shout that comes from deep in her chest. Her blue eyes shine with angry tears.

And you do.

You turn on your heels and go. Your mark burns a hole in your palm.

*set Alessa_Enemy true

*set Alessa_Friend false

*goto Salina_Chamber

*if Romance

Alessa takes a half-step towards you. "Some things matter more than you," she hisses.

You scoff bitterly, putting distance between you. "That's obvious," you say. "Tarek matters more to you than all else. Even the people who care about you. Even the ones who might have come to love you. Maybe Rafael was right, Alessa. This was never meant to last."

Her face opens in shock, falls in pain, and then, at last, it contrasts in anger. "Leave," Alessa sizzles, in a low shout that comes from deep in her chest. Her blue eyes shine with angry tears.

And you do.

You turn on your heels and go. Your mark burns a hole in your palm.

*set Alessa_Romance false

*set Alessa_Enemy true

*set Alessa_Break true

*goto Salina_Chamber

Comments

If I recall correctly your mark itches and burns whenever you experience a lot of fear or anger regardless of your corruption level. I remember it happening when the Inquisition shows up, when you fight Goliath and when Baiae comes up. And unless I'm wrong your corruption only goes up when you commit an act of unnecessary violence against someone who can't defend themselves.

HeraldOfEras

My Romanus could never do this so I’ll never see this in my play through. It would be the worst outcome he can imagine as well. 💔 It would hurt him more.

Red Phoenix97

"set Alessa enemy" hurts

Wolfasd0

"Give yourself to the mark it can promise you so much power if only you let it in." I really am so excited to continue the rest of this book please take the rest of my money this is the best series I've ever had the pleasure to read

TheMagicMan

😭 oh my god, again, exactly that!!! code is like “phew man glad im not that guy, what a wild au!” and normal game is “i cant believe i just fucking killed alessa who is a real person and right here, nope not doing that!!!”

mila (yugocar)

EXACTLY it's like. In both cases I am reading text but when I read it in the code it registers like a bad dream. Whereas if I read it in the normal game, I feel like I've literally hurt a real person irl 😭

Gorogs

😭 oh im soooo excited!!! i truly love all the antagonistic interactions, they are so interesting!!! but you are more than right in your assessment :’) im an absolute baby when it comes to hurting either hadrian or alessa (they’re my team!!!!!!) so this was great for a sneak peak!!

mila (yugocar)

:’) you put exactly into words why i codedive! i know logically that its just text, but i just *cant* makes some choices!

mila (yugocar)

The way you write Alessa's small, understated reactions truly makes my soul hurt 😭Like I can see her face in my mind's eye and even though she gives so little away, it's obvious that she is taken aback and pained by Romanus's words. This is why after my first playthrough of IF games I sometimes read the code to find stuff like this that I could NEVER do for real EVER. It's so compelling and powerful writing-wise and it deserves to be seen but. I can't bring myself to do it even for a one-off playthrough😭😭😭ALESSA I LOV YOU (thank you for the sneak peak <3)

Gorogs

I'm a weak woman, I can admit that. I cannot imagine ever picking an option that leads to a fight/ not being able to o fix it right away lol I cannot hurt my GIRL

Kaylin

Oh my God nooo 😭 don’t do this to my girl 😭

Rita Wolf

Whoever manages to get through this path is stronger emotionally than I 🥺

Allie

Man oh man. I've never seen a more perfect summary of the Brutal and Ruthless stats. I hope the mark burning our palm means we get corruption points for this because I felt my soul get corrupted reading it! I appreciate you letting us see it though. Alessa is my favorite character, so if I saw a line like that in my choices, it would get ignored no matter how many playthroughs I do. I just don't have it in my heart to hurt her! It already breaks my heart turning down her romance path in book 1!!

Rue

What a gut punch of emotions

Bee

oh NO, I am not strong enough for this route. Too soft

A sandwich

😳🥺 oh no, that was so heart breaking 😭 Set_aleesa_friend False‼️ And set_aleesa_enemy True‼️ means that the MC is no longer on the friendship route and is now on the enemy one instead. So my question is whether this is irreversible? Is there no turning back after this? And also please tell me there is no such scene with Hadrian. I know I will hate it but I will have a save just for the angst of it all. Because who doesn't love the angsty salt in IFs, especially when it is well written angst and emotional suffering.🥰😂 Your angst writing is just 👌👩‍🍳😘 the jealousy scenes are 😳 the spice is also 🫣😳🫠 the romance scenes 🥰 Your writing is incredible in general Ana!!! By the way, is there any more of your writing somewhere? Maybe a book, or a short story or something outside of IF that we do not know about? I am truly starved for more of your writing and would eagerly read (honestly read is not the right word because I do not read but devour your writing) anything else you have written! 🥰

AndrasteN7

:O I was wondering if that moment would ever come up again. Good thing I'm not apart of the 1% who will see it~

Imani

NOOOOOOO Ana. .... Why must you do this?? Christ.... I can't bear to think what Hadrian's is going to be like .... Especially if you choose the game with Mist about asking for more info. And then your hand takes over your mind and you yell at Hadrian... And he leaves after saying "I thought I meant something to you more than that. I guess I was wrong." And then the last thing you hear from him.... Well... I don't want to spoil it in case some people haven't gotten that ending... But God damn... Just break my heart... Reading this I audibly gasped. It seems the main trio is going to be changing a lot in this coming book.... Whether it be good or bad.... Time will tell. The stakes are becoming higher as you've already shown us.... Lord ..... I'm very afraid for the main trio..... Not to say I'm not afraid for the others but Hadrian and Alessa were the first we were introduced to.... They hold a special place in my heart...And I have a feeling things are just going to become harder....

Nessy Lovegood


More Creators